This Wednesday at 7 p.m. (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Lorient (16th) at the Stade du Moustoir as part of Matchday 10 of the 2025–2026 Ligue 1 season. In a press conference, Lorient coach Olivier Pantaloni spoke about the upcoming match, discussing his expectations, hopes, and, understandably, a certain level of apprehension ahead of facing PSG.
Pantaloni: “If we can already manage to hold them, that would be a good thing.”
Do you really believe in the upset?
“Today, if someone tells me we can hold PSG, I believe it. But we know we’re up against the best team in Europe. We know it’s an extremely tough challenge. Still, if we go into the game with confidence and the will to make it happen, maybe we can hold them. Pulling off an upset would be incredible for us, but even managing to hang on against them would already be a good thing.”
Pantaloni: “Very few teams can say they can cause PSG problems.”
“We know we’ll need to be extremely precise, show maximum efficiency, discipline, and accuracy. It’s the kind of match where you have to be surgical in everything you do just to exist.
This is a team with an incredible mindset right now, full of confidence thanks to their performances on the pitch. Very few teams can honestly say they can trouble PSG. But we’ll still try to cause them problems.”
Pantaloni: “We have to come out of this game proud.”
What can you say to your players before facing such a team?
“We can’t go in with an inferiority complex. We have to be aware that the task ahead is massive. But if we lose, we won’t be the first ones to fall. Hopefully, we won’t have anything to be ashamed of when it comes to the players’ attitude.
We have to come out of this game proud. That pride comes from giving everything on the pitch to try to get a result. Even if the result doesn’t go our way, we’ll still have that pride. We’ll have seen a team that fought with its own weapons until the end. We have much more to gain than to lose.”
— Quotes via Ouest-France
Pantaloni, of course, can’t say his team is going into the game expecting to lose — that would make a terrible impression and achieve nothing. The goal is to have belief, to hope for something special, and to give absolutely everything. That’s the only way to avoid regrets and to maximize their chances of taking advantage of a potential PSG off day.
His emphasis on “pride” also stands out. The objective is to leave the pitch feeling they gave everything, regardless of the final score — through effort, solidarity, and maybe a touch of boldness. Tactically, though, facing PSG is a complex task; Luis Enrique’s side has shown an impressive ability to adapt to any opponent.
It’s worth repeating what’s been evident lately: stopping PSG is an enormous challenge. Especially now that the team has recovered key players and can rotate while maintaining a highly competitive lineup. With the Ligue 1 title race still tight, PSG is expected to come into this match with real determination.
It will undoubtedly be tough for Lorient to keep up, but Pantaloni and his players will give their all in pursuit of an upset that would do wonders — both for their league standing and for team morale. As for PSG, it’s up to them to approach the match seriously and avoid any unpleasant surprises.
